Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has sharply criticised top state officials for their continued inaction regarding the payment of dues to fish seed suppliers for the 2023-24 period, in violation of earlier judicial orders.
Justice NV Shravan Kumar presided over a series of contempt petitions filed by several fish seed companies, including Putta Fish Seed Farm, who argued that, despite a clear directive issued in January 2025 requiring the fisheries department and related authorities to process and release pending amounts, no action had been taken by government officials.
The petitioners emphasised that they were eligible to receive substantial payments for fish seed supplied under a government scheme, and that these claims were backed by official acknowledgements from the fisheries department.
The court had previously granted senior officials, including the special chief secretary, finance secretary, and Fisheries commissioner, a final opportunity to verify suppliers’ claims as per the Vigilance Commission’s report, and to make payments to all those found eligible.
Despite multiple adjournments and the fact that no appeal was filed against the initial court order, the officials neither complied with the payment directive nor submitted a compliance report to the court.
At the most recent hearing, the government’s counsel once again requested additional time, but the judge refused any further adjournment. Instead,
Justice Shravan Kumar ordered the personal appearance of the involved officials before the court. The matter was posted for further proceedings, and the intention is clear: unless the officials justify their non-compliance or take corrective action, they risk facing contempt proceedings for wilful disobedience of a direct court order.
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